White's Tree Frogs - The Smiling Frog

Guest Author - Christina Borders

Written by previous editor: Christina Borders

White’s Tree Frog a.k.a. Dumpy’s Tree Frog a.k.a. Smiling Tree Frog -

White’s tree frogs are one of the most common amphibians seen in pet stores. They are arboreal frogs (tree climbers) and grow to be pretty large (4 - 5 inches) and well, fat. White’s aren’t the most active frogs, in fact, if you’re looking for a frog that will entertain you for hours on end, don’t buy a White. And if you do, don’t overfeed! Just like humans, weight gain usually results in a sedentary lifestyle.

You will find that these awfully cute frogs are very hardy and easy to care for, making them good choices for beginning keepers. A minimum of a 25-gallon tank is a must, and the taller the better. Plenty of climbing limbs and hollow places as well as plants will make for a great habitat. Be sure that you have a SECURE and STABLE lid for your tank as well. My personal preference for tank substrate is reptile carpet, but you could also use reptile bark, though some suggest using pine bark as the prepackaged reptile bark contains small pieces that may accidentally be ingested by your frog, causing death.

Humidity levels can be maintained simply by spraying the tank every now and then or setting up a misting system. Temperature should be kept around 84-86 F during the day and can safely drop into the upper 60’s F at night. With the combined factors of warm temps and humidity, good ventilation is a MUST.

Another item you’ll need to add to your frog’s tank is a water bowl. It will need to be pretty large, and you’ll more than likely have to get bigger bowls as your frog grows. A bowl that is around 4 - 6 inches around and 4 – 5 inches deep is ideal. White’s enjoy a good relaxing soak as much as we humans love sitting in our hot tubs!

White’s diets consist of insects: crickets, cockroaches, and super worms. Overfeeding is a common problem in this frog species. A good way to determine your frog’s weight status is to keep track of the arches over the eardrums. If you can’t see any ridges, your frog is probably underweight. If you notice them starting to roll down over the eardrums, put that frog on a diet! These ‘weight arches’ are called tympanic ridges.

Overall, White’s Tree Frogs are very calm and docile herps. They are mostly nocturnal and will croak a low deep song, so be prepared.

EXTRA TIPS:

When you are looking for a frog in your local pet store or supply, keep these tips in mind:

-Don’t buy a frog or toad that is smaller than your pinky nail.

-If the frogs or toads don’t put up much of a fight when being captured from their tank, pass on them. Chances are they aren’t very healthy and will only end up dieing from the stress of being relocated.

-Be sure to educate yourself fully on the diet and housing requirements of the particular frog or toad you want. (Some tend to grow quite large; large enough even to require mice in the diets.)